Tolling I-80 will provide for the common good

It is vital that the tolling of Interstate 80 remain the linchpin of the recently enacted plan to finance long overdue and desperately needed transportation improvements throughout Pennsylvania ("I-80 Toll Foes Drive on Capital," Sept. 20). It is infinitely preferable to handing a monopoly to print money to a corporate conglomerate by leasing them the turnpike, a vital public asset.

U.S. Reps. John Peterson and Phil English have attacked this plan by championing the grievously incorrect notion that their constituents will somehow be forced to pay for things they don't use. This assertion is untrue as areas these congressmen represent have mass transit systems that will be funded by this plan. Additionally, revenue generated will be used to fund vital projects to repair crumbling and dangerous bridges and roads in their districts.

Further, the congressmen ignore the fact that there is a greater outflow of tax money from urban and metropolitan counties in this state to pay for beneficial services and projects in rural areas than vice versa. The residents of urban areas do not, however, vehemently object to expenditure of their tax dollars to help out people living in rural areas. They recognize that our democracy is strongest when citizen helps citizen, no matter where that citizen might live -- city, country or suburb. No one area of our state or country has a monopoly on need, nor can any one area be entirely self-sustaining.

We are called the commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a sound reason: The common good of all the people of the state is every person's individual concern, and this plan will serve the common good by providing safer, more affordable transportation for every Pennsylvanian.

DAN DeLISIO
Center

A truly great group

There are plenty of organizations, foundations, centers, teams, groups and institutions that are in existence to better serve the youth of this city.

The Tickets for Kids organization is by far one of the greatest ("Tickets for Kids Group Has a Million of 'Em," Sept. 13). Providing youth with the opportunity to see, to literally give vision and a future in the form of experience, is truly amazing. Passing the mark of 1 million tickets is a remarkable feat, Vera Marelli and the entire Tickets for Kids organization should be commended, and this event should shine brightly in the darkness that sometimes hovers over the youth of this great city.

The Open Door (a youth center located in the historic West End of the city, which serves more than 350 youth and their families) has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. For the past four years, The Open Door has had the privilege of being in partnership with Tickets for Kids. Each summer 50 children are given the opportunity to come to a free six-week summer day camp called "Cross-Trainers," which provides a field trip each week, and Tickets for Kids provides each and every ticket. Tickets for Kids has no other motive but providing the opportunity for growth and learning. The youth are given experiences that cannot be equaled, and Tickets for Kids continues to be a pillar of hope for organizations that are constantly looking to better the lives of the youth around them.

From The Open Door to Tickets for Kids: We thank you for your continued hard work.

ADAM ROBINSON
Executive Director
The Open Door
Crafton Heights

Fiscally sickening

In June 1948, the United States and its allies airlifted tons of milk, flour and medicine to Berlin after Soviets blocked access to Western-controlled sections.

From April 2003 to June 2004 the U.S. airlifted $12 billion in cash to Baghdad -- "much of it belonging to the Iraqi people," according to an article in the latest Vanity Fair by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele. " ... Incredibly, at least $9 billion has gone missing." The company paid to keep track of the money had no certified public accountants on staff, according to the article. "Once the money arrived in Iraq, it entered a free-for-all environment where virtually anyone with fingers could take some of it." Should we be surprised?

An administration that throws away $2 billion a week on the war is now proposing a five-year budget plan that cuts funds for vital domestic programs: criminal justice assistance, $9.4 billion; elementary and secondary education, $9.9 billion; pollution control and abatement, $5.5 billion; health-care research and training, $11.4 billion; even veterans hospital and medical care, $5.1 billion. The figures are available from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Slashing aid to states means either tax increases in Pennsylvania or cuts in programs such as $2.5 billion for clean water programs and more than $2 billion for K-12 education.

And President Bush would extend his tax cuts, including eliminating millionaires' estate taxes.

The poorest 20 percent get a weekly cut of under $1; the next 20 percent, $9; the middle-income 20 percent, $16; the next 20 percent, under $29; the top 20 percent, $153. The richest 1 percent would enjoy a weekly tax cut of $1,280; millionaires would benefit by about $3,117. That's $162,000 a year.

Find this revolting? Then revolt!

MOLLY RUSH
Dormont

Late to see the light

Bravo (once again) to Rob Rogers for his wonderful Alan Greenspan cartoon (Sept. 20). When do we stop cheering the Bush enablers who spend years sucking up and being toadies, then "suddenly" see the light and find their voices and write self-congratulatory books so we can applaud their "courage" in speaking out?

Do we all remember former Surgeon General Richard Carmona who let himself be pushed around for four years at the expense of hard scientific information? Where were they when it mattered? No applause -- or admiration -- from me, thank you.

LORETTA BARONE
Point Breeze

The sensitive type?

In Bangladesh, Islamic protesters torched copies of a newspaper that had published a "blasphemous" cartoon. As you well know, this is not the first time a newspaper and its cartoonist have been threatened.

It is no wonder that the PG and Rob Rogers will not touch this topic with a 10-foot pole. You see, in times like this, the PG becomes "sensitive" and does not want to hurt people's feelings (read Muslims). Personally, I don't know if I buy the sensitive part.

Maybe I'm crazy, but could it be that they don't want their building blown up and Rob Rogers likes his head right where it's at? Keep drawing President Bush as an ass, Mr. Rogers, for there are cartoonists and editors out there who have real courage, not sensitivity.

RAY RIEBER
Mount Oliver

We welcome your letters. Please include your name, address and phone number, and send to Letters to the Editor, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh 15222. E-mail letters to letters@post-gazette.com or fax to 412-263-2014. Letters should be 250 words or less, original and exclusive to the Post-Gazette. All letters are subject to editing for length, clarity and accuracy and will be verified before being published.